If you are in your 40’s, are you too young for a facelift?! The truth is that, of all the things you can have injected or done to your face, a well-performed facelift is probably the most effective and actually the cheapest!. The word “facelift” scares some people; they think it means “big operation” or “I will look weird”. What if it were called a cheek lift? Or a “mini-lift?” Somehow those are less scary and, in fact, are more accurate descriptions.
But how can you make this happen if you're in your 40s?
When we enter our 40s (in men it is often the 50’s), we start to develop early laxity in the lower cheek. Some people develop jowls that fall over the jawline and interrupt the smooth contour of a youthful jaw. Most patients in their 40’s have not yet developed many aging changes in the neck so that part of the face usually does not require attention at this age.
The most difficult question that plastic surgeons have to answer is, “Am I ready for a facelift?” Or “What’s the best age for surgery?” The advantage of having the procedure when you are younger is that it will last longer and the change will not be so dramatic to your friends and acquaintances. The disadvantage is that we should all have a little surgery in life as we can and still feel good about ourselves. The more surgery you have, the more likely you will eventually start to LOOK like you have had surgery.
A facelift involves an incision made in front of and inside the patient's ear, extending from the top of the ear to the earlobe. Because the neck usually does not need to be addressed at this age, the incision need not extend behind the ear and into the scalp.
The deeper tissues are elevated, lifting the lax tissue in the lower cheeks and lifting any jowls back up into the cheeks where they came from. The skin is then gently redraped upwards and backward. The incisions are approximated without tension so the scars should be completely invisible after a few months.
This type of Cheek lift can then be repeated using the same incisions in 10-15 years or extended into a full facelift pattern behind the ears when the neck begins to show age.
Recovery is approximately one week. You will definitely be fine in two weeks. You may return to full activity including sports at three weeks.
As mentioned above, patients in their 40’s present for a number of different treatments: neuromodulators, fillers, radiofrequency procedures, laser treatments, thread lifts, etc., but THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN REPLACE A WELL PERFORMED FACELIFT AND THERE IS NO PROCEDURE THAT IS MORE REJUVENATING AND CHEAPER IN THE LONG RUN BECAUSE OF ALL THE LESS INVASIVE PROCEDURES THAT CAN BE AVOIDED.
Be Careful: Don’t have too many injectable and less-invasive treatments
Patients often think that the injectable and less invasive treatments are superior (and they do provide benefit if done appropriately), but excessive fillers can make the face look distorted and the less invasive procedures are also the LESS EFFECTIVE procedures.
So think of a “facelift” as a cheek lift and consult a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon to determine the type of facelift best for you in your 40s. Dr. Charles Thorne is a board-certified plastic surgeon with decades of cosmetic surgery experience. Schedule an online consultation with Dr. Thorne today to discuss your candidacy for a Cheek lift.
Dr. Thorne is the Editor-in-Chief and the author of several chapters in Grabb and Smith's PLASTIC SURGERY, 7th Edition.
